Millions in path of wintry blast this week
Moderated by Tomas Kauer 
A spell of warm and sunny weather across south-eastern Australia is forecast to come to a shuddering halt this week.
Tasmania, Victoria and southern NSW will feel much chillier by Thursday when a blast of cold winds from the deep Southern Ocean rolls in, reports weather data firm Weatherzone.
The weather system will begin its march on Wednesday, and over the following 24 hours, snowfalls can be expected in parts of the NSW Snowy Mountains, the Victorian Alps and the Tasmanian Highlands.
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The latter two could record falls as low as 800 metres, forecasters say.
A second cold front is due to arrive early Friday, extending the plummeting temperatures and gusty winds through the day, while snowfalls will be limited to higher ground.
But skiers and snowboarders shouldn't expect an early start to the winter sports season.
"Snow accumulations across the two days should amount to approximately 10-20cm across the Victorian and New South Wales major resorts and about 3-8cm across the Tasmanian Central Plateau and the higher peaks in south-west Victoria," according to Weatherzone.
"This should be ample snow cover for snow play, snowball fights and maybe a slide on a toboggan."
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Residents in south-eastern capital cities should be reaching for the winter woollies by Thursday when the mercury drops markedly.
Canberra is heading for a chilly maximum temperature of 8 degrees, Hobart 11 degrees, Melbourne 12 degrees, while Sydney can expect a far more pleasant 19 degrees.
Anyone heading outdoors should prepare to add an extra layer of clothing, with cold, gusty winds accentuating the chill factor.
The wintry blast is forecast to be brief, with seasonal average temperatures returning by the late weekend.
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